So I applied for this job.
I saw it in the ad the one day.
Working barely above minimum wage just wasn’t doing it for me.
It’s a spa that’s hiring for all positions. Even though I have no experience or any type of training I’m sure they’re in need of a receptionist, file clerk, or maybe even a greeter?? Starting pay is $15+ an hour. I’m sure I can squeeze in somewhere. I’m not picky. Anything is better than the job I have now. I don’t even work 40 hrs a week. L
I call up my friend knowing she’d be interested as well (being that she’s a full time student living off what ever allowance her parents can spare.) Sally agrees to go with me as we would both fill out an application together. The ad requested that we show up in person for possible on the spot interviews. So, we did.
It took us awhile finding this place being that it wasn’t marked very well. I started freaking out thinking that we might miss out on our chance to apply for this job. We decide to push our pride aside and call for directions. Isn’t that kind of embarrassing? I don know, I just feel like if you really want to impress the interviewee you better make sure you know where their establishment is at. Come on! Whatever, so we call and admit that we’re lost and unable to find the spa. The receptionist happily explains how to get there and she was even kind enough to greet us at the door.
We walk in and notice how quite and peaceful it was. Wow, no other girls were there rushing us for the job openings. That’s exactly what I was hoping for. *cha ching* I made sure my lips were glossed and my teeth had no evidence of my lunch I had just scarfed down in the car on the way there.The receptionist has an inviting smile and hands us the thick application. “Ladies, here are the applications. Fill out any required information along with any formal training you have received. Once you are finished I will let my manager know and we’ll be following up with a phone call on the status based on the information you have provided.”
We were somewhat stoked but yet skeptical. What are we doing here? Maybe the receptionist was under the impression that we were professional masseuses. I didn’t want to be misleading so I spoke up. “Um, excuse me. We were actually inquiring about a receptionist position. Maybe something else that didn’t require any training……??” *gulp* My face showed doubt and my heart was pounding so hard waiting for the rejection. I had to brace my self for the embarrassment as now there were customers in the lobby easedropping on our conversation. You know how quite spas can be…….*creepy*
“Oh!” She replied. “Yeah, that’s fine. Just fill out the paperwork and on the top make sure you note your preferred position.”
So, we did as she said and started on the paperwork. As Sally and I were thumbing through it I noticed how long it was. Geez, it was the longest application I had ever filled out. I had to remind myself though that this wasn’t some measly job at a fast food joint or something. Of course it’s going to be more in depth. Duh, Michelle. *smacks forehead with my palm…not literally though. :/*
We f-i-n-a-l-l-y finish the paperwork and hand it over to the receptionist. She makes us comfortable with a glass of water as she goes off to hand off our no-experience having application to her manager.
Sally is weary (because she’s never had a job in her life *spoiled*) and starts to get nervous.
“What if we get in trouble or something?” She asks me.
“For what??” I asked.
“I don’t know. For applying for a job that we know we have absolutely no training in.”
“Sally, calm down. I can obviously see this is the first time you’ve applied for a job. Everything will be fine. Plus, it’s not like we’re posing as real masseuses or anything. We wrote in the corner that we were only interested in secretarial work.”
“Yeah. You’re right, Michelle. Good thing you’re with me because I would have never came here by myself.”
“Sure. Same here. This would be so great if we got a job at a spa. That’s every girl’s dream job, right? Imagine the sweet discounts we’ll get. Hehe.”
“Okay, the manager will see you know.” The girl tells us and she invites us into his office. “Oh, and actually just one person at a time for the interview please.”
I step away and make my way back into to the lobby. Sally goes into the room as I’m wishing her luck. I’m sitting there sipping on my tap water that was given to me early anxiously waiting.
A couple of guys are waiting there as well waiting for their service. The guy sitting across from me keeps giving me this look. It wasn’t necessarily a “wandering eye” look, but more like a weary look. I looked down at his hands and noticed a wedding ring. Ok, so maybe he’s just looking to start an innocent conversation. He looked somewhat frightened. Then I start getting these paranoid thoughts. Maybe he knows I’m applying for a job. Is he judging me because I look so young? Does he know that I have no professional training? Did he over hear our conversations? Ok ok….whatever. I had to restrain my entertaining thoughts. I needed to start focusing on my answers for whatever random interview questions the manager has up his sleeve.
Then out of the corner I see one of the associates. She’s dressed in some green khaki style pants, a shirt that somewhat shows some skin from her stretched marked stomach, and face caked on with heavy foundation that had no help in covering up her bad acne. I assumed that if she worked at a spa she would be getting face peels every week or so. Maybe a nice facial?? Hey, if she can work here then I know I have a chance at least.
“Adam??” The heavy makeup faced girl says.
“Yes.” The gentleman next to me replies as he looks back at me one last time. His eye almost looked as if he was replying but with a question for my acceptance. It was weird. I can’t really explain it…..
“Hi,” the girl continues. “I’m Candy Angel. I will be working with you today"…..blah blah blah. You know, the normal schpeel they give you to get you all warmed up to them. Her name was, yes, Candy Angel. For a moment I assumed it was because she was Hispanic so her first name was really Candy (ie Dulce) and her last name was Angel. I mean, everyone that’s from Cali, AZ, TX, or NM know that that’s a common last name. Then I remembered the name of the spa- ‘Heavenly Spa.’ Ohhh, okay. So, all the girls are considered angels. I guess that kind of makes sense. With having hands so soft and delicate it would seem like you’re getting touched by an angel. *No dirty thoughts please* Hmmm…what would my angel name be?? It sounds kind of weird though. Almost stripper like, right? But who cares. This is 15+ an hour. I’ll be called whatever angel. Haha.
Sally comes out of the room.
“Hey, girl. It’s your turn. Good luck.” She cheers.
“Thanks! How did it go??” Did he like you??” I ask.
“Yeah, I think so. He’s older so you know………he’s a little perverted….. and asked to take a picture of me. Then he asked if I liked to party. Is that normal and job related??”
“Uh…no. But he’s old. Whatever. Maybe he thought you were cute. He might have a thing for Asians. Hehe. Plus, looks are everything in a spa. It brings more business.” I tried to sound positive behind my curiosity.
I was next. I walked in the office and was in the presence of a normal looking 40 some year old gentleman. He sat behind his desk which had a straight view into the front where he his Jaguar was parked.
We started off with the typical interview questions. After the smooth process he then asked me- “May I take a picture of you? It’s part of the interview process. We’ve interviewed so many girls that we like to remember the applicants by their faces. It helps having attractive ladies in the front of the house so that way our clients are feeling good about themselves as soon as they walk in the spa. Wouldn’t you agree?” After he joked about not releasing the photos or reassuring me they wouldn't pop up on some random porn sites we got a good laugh together. I agreed.The receptionist came in to make it less awkward (which I thought was a good move) and took my photo. Hey, I didn’t see it as a big thing. Korea has been doing it for years. Even though it’s a true shallow approach, I understood his little tactic.
Maybe 15 minutes went by and then he started asking me these weird questions.
- Are you a partier or more conservative? (Maybe he was testing me assuming I was some beer binging collage student. He wasn’t fooling me….)
- Do you like to travel? Go on cruises? Attend personal functions?
- What would you do if a client touched you? (That was kind of tricky because my first reaction would be to discontinue business with the customer. But maybe that's where it was a trick question. Maybe he wanted me to take a smart approach to where he wouldn't lose the client but still scolded him in a nicer way. I went with the second answer. He liked it)
- Do you have a boyfriend?
All question that had nothing to do with spa services............instead it was shifted more towards sexual favors................
Okay...so this story is taking waaay too long, right? What it all comes down to is that this "job" was pretty much a landing for happy endings...if you get my drift. I was going to be giving 'special' messages to random men. *gross!*
What the heck??!! How could I have been so dumb and naive? I should have known by the ad alone- "Looking for attractive ladies only for our Heavenly Spa. Full or part time positions open. No experience? No problem. We train on the spot. $15+ an hour. Please no phone calls. Apply in person."
Then our second clue should have been how hard it was to find the darn place. It was hidden somewhere behind some neighborhood. The building was all white with no signage at all.
*slaps forehead* Oye, the determination I had on trying to get this job for my friend and I. She was soooo mad after we did some further research. It wasn't until that night as I was telling Anthony about our interview that we realized what kind of place this was.
I had just moved from a small town so I didn't really think places like this existed within a 50 mile radius from my house. This is stuff that you see on Dateline NBC or stuff that happens in Vegas, not little ol Tucson. We found their website and then were convinced that this was some type of prostitution business. The excepted "donations" for hours of bliss....etc. You had your choose of any angel and what they specialized in.... *shivers in disgust to think that could have been me!!*
I felt so dumb.....and my friend felt so violated. This guy had all our personal information on file along with our pictures. It was a pretty discouraging day.
Well, good thing is we all live and learn. This story that I shared with you today definitely showed me the real meaning behind- "if it's too good to be true, it's probably not true at all" first hand.
Funny thing was.....after a year of my embarrassing experience, we saw that "spa" on the local news getting shut down due to a tip off. The owner and girls got arrested for prostitution and money laundering.
Ahhhh, the adventures of my teenage life more than 5 years ago...........
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